For general use, the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 offers a larger screen and more storage at a lower cost, but the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) provides a higher-resolution display and a longer battery life in a more compact and lighter form. The MacBook might be preferable for performance in creative tasks and has a fanless design for silent operation, while the Dell, running Windows, may offer broader compatibility for certain software, particularly in business environments. If portability and display quality are your priorities, and you don't mind the higher price, go for the MacBook. Otherwise, for value and screen size, the Dell Inspiron is a strong option. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5620
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13's high-resolution Retina display with bright and color-accurate screen suits general use and engineering design tasks well, offering a wide color gamut that ensures precise color work. However, its screen's standard refresh rate is less ideal for 3D applications, which benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals. The Dell Inspiron 16 5620, with its fair resolution and adequate brightness, provides an acceptable experience for daily tasks and some design work, but its lower color accuracy and standard refresh rate fall short for professional design tasks and are not optimal for gaming and 3D, which demand faster screen updates.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 costs $500.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is favored for general use due to its high-quality screen, lightweight design, and long battery life, making it highly portable with a silent operation, but with limited storage compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5620. The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 offers a larger screen and double the RAM and storage, which is valuable for multitasking and data-intensive tasks, as well as excellent keyboard quality, but it is heavier and offers significantly shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers a high-resolution display suitable for design tasks and an M1 CPU/GPU combo that handles engineering software well, though its portability is enhanced by its lighter weight and longer battery life as compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5620. The Dell Inspiron, however, comes with more RAM and a larger screen, which may be beneficial for complex engineering simulations and multitasking, but it has a lower screen resolution which might not be as crisp for design details.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"If the world is exciting enough right now, you can do far worse than a solid performer that you know will get the job done. Our review model is as powerful as you'd want an office machine to be unless you're performing specialist tasks and the price point is pretty attractive (unless work will let you have a MacBook Air instead)."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell Inspiron 16 5620
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.